The Formex Essence 41mm “Space Ghost” marks a sweet spot in the Swiss brand’s lineup, sitting neatly between the earlier 39mm and 43mm stainless steel versions. While the Leggera series has offered this 41mm format since 2022, the stainless steel Essence was missing it-until now.
The new model doesn’t just change size; it brings subtle but meaningful upgrades to both the case and bracelet, along with a meteorite dial that’s nothing short of stunning.
The case is stainless steel, with brushed and polished finishes, and includes Formex’s patented case suspension system for comfort and shock resistance. Flat AR-coated sapphire crystals front and back keep the display crisp, and water resistance remains at 100m. The 41mm diameter, 10.6mm thickness, and compact 46.5mm lug-to-lug make it wearable even for smaller wrists, and the thin profile spreads weight evenly for day-long comfort
. A screw-down crown-previously reserved for other Formex lines-adds peace of mind for collectors who value a secure winding mechanism.
The dial is carved entirely from a single slice of the Muonionalusta meteorite, rhodium-plated, and accented with metallic blue hands, markers, and printing. Even the beveled date window is sculpted directly into the meteorite. BGW9 Super-LumiNova gives the hands and markers an aqua glow at night.
Inside beats a COSC-certified Sellita SW200-1 automatic, running at 4Hz with 41 hours of reserve, customized with a skeleton rotor for a refined finish.
The bracelet’s updates are almost invisible but technically impressive. Its screws are engineered to avoid loosening without thread-locker, while the butterfly clasp gains a slim, dual-sided 3mm extension system reminiscent of high-end models like Patek’s Nautilus. For strap fans, leather, rubber, and fabric options come with curved quick-release ends and a carbon composite deployant clasp with 7mm micro-adjustment.
Formex, tied to case-maker Dexel and dial specialist Cadranor, leverages its in-house capabilities to pack high-end features into competitively priced watches. At $2,190 on strap or $2,290 on bracelet, the Space Ghost isn’t a limited edition, but production is capped at 150 pieces per year. The real magic lies in how Formex has refined function without shouting about it-over-engineering details most owners will never notice, yet will benefit from every day.